Who Am I To You?
by Starsing1
Summary: It's amazing what we take for granted until it's gone, left to pick up the pieces. But will things ever be normal again? There's no way for the former blue blur to know, but a certain reluctant black and red hedgehog might be able to help him along the way. Sonadow, some violence, light swearing, maybe a little blood in later chapters so rated it M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Who Am I To You?**

 **Chapter1; Isn't it funny?**

 _Isn't it funny what we take for granted? One minute you're so sure of who you are, only to have it stripped from you in the worst way possible._ The scientist took his seat in the observation room with his associates, clipboard in hand. "Sorry I'm late; my computer was being a bother." He stared forwards like the rest, to view the room below with great interest. The others nodded, the four of them exchanging words while they waited for the show to begin. "It seems that the subject is as equally a bother today." The second answered, while the third pitched in his two cents. "Yes, it nearly bit its handlers again, so we've had to return to the muzzle again." The fourth merely snorted; the test subject was in its prime, strong and young, but seemingly unbreakable. At least at first it was; but they were patient people, and they'd been working on this creature, test subject 26-B, for a few months now.

 _One day it all ends, and you can't fight it, no matter how hard you try. Only to realize you're a belonging, a plaything, everything the opposite of what you should be, gone, because they made you to be this way._ There was a clattering sound at the end of the room below that suddenly caught the scientist's attention, as they stood to line up in front of the unbreakable clear panel before them. There was no doubt that these training sessions had woken up the subject's feral nature, nor who the subject hated most; precautions were necessary to avoid a savage attack like the one that had mauled its first handler. Then the show began two large, bulky men led an obviously irritated creature into the room below, set like an obstacle course for quadrupeds. And that was what the creature was; walking on all fours like some bizarre dog on a chain leash. Short but thick fur covered its body, a shade between grey and blue, with a furry white muzzle, hidden behind the leather encasing it. The belly of the beast was as equally white, with a lush tuft of longer fur at its throat, though it badly needed brushing along with the tangled bushy tail. The toes the subject's four paws were nearly hairless compared to the body fur, and covered in thin, peach-coloured fuzz that ended with strong dark claws to grip the ground. The two front paws would be a puzzle for anyone unfamiliar with the test subject, for they looked almost like they were trying to be hands; each of the three front toes having two joints, as if they were stubby, short fingers that bent only in the middle. There was even a fourth digit, a flexible stub on the inner side of the front paws, as if to say "look, I'm a thumb", though the digits were barely capable of holding and manipulating things on their own. The resemblance of hands ended there, with the hind paws having three toes as well, and a dewclaw further up each hind foot near the heel for grip.

 _Made, yeah I said it. But that's what I am now. A man-made mockery of what I'm supposed to be. And I can't see any way out before they claim what's left of me. I'm not even sure who "me" is anymore._ The most fascinating thing a newcomer would note were the razor sharp spines messily protruding from the rear of its head, back, and shoulders; a trait that the Scientists had worked to keep through the process of their experiment. Subject 26-B was to be a weapon, after all. The only thing they couldn't warp to their will was its mind. After all, the thing needed its intelligence for the battlefield intact. That was what breaking was for. And that was what they were doing. 26-B already wore a shock collar at all times, and in its cell it was kept hobbled, connected to the wall by a sturdy collar and chain. Meals were strictly formulated to leave the subject hungry, but not malnourished, as food was one motivator they used to force the hungry creature to obey. Yes, it was a bit underweight, but that and the punishments it was given had finally begun to crack its armour and let them control it. The progress was evident in how it was guided through the obstacles, without a touch of the whip or a shock through the collar, moving through the commands reluctantly but obediently. As usual, it was put through the full, gruelling training session that forced it to use and strengthen every muscle, lasting for hours until it could barely stand. It had needed some…'encouragement' from the collar near the end, but that would be taken care of during the next session tomorrow. The scientists shook hands as the bruised and exhausted subject was carried back to its cell, congratulating each other for their hard work done. And back in the cage, the creature could only weep.

So this is my first story, and I'd love to hear reviews from anyone with the time. As this is my first story here, I'd ask that you be fair please! Who Am I to you is going to be a Sonadow story, so if you don't like the ship, it may not be for you. Not all my stories will be Sonadow, so if you like my style, check back and see if there's anything new that interests you. Have fun reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2; Seeking Answers.**

"How much longer, Rouge?" The ultimate lifeform grouched to his partner, not pleased with how long it was taking her to hack into the research facility's security system. Earlier that evening they'd been sent to break into the facility on a information-gathering mission, which had grown frustratingly more difficult once it became clear that the two G.U.N. Agents would need to actually get inside the base to breach the mainframe's firewalls. Then again, it was rumored that they were experimenting on Mobian Sapients, so naturally the lab wouldn't want word to get out- it would jeopardize the treaty between Mobian and Human kind. Still, the fact that it was taking so long to get inside the unusually secure facility, supposedly only developing pharmaceuticals, it was eating at the black and red hedgehog's patience.

Rouge sighed heavily in response. "Shadow the Hedgehog, ask one more time and it's going to take _twice_ as- Ah." The bat's efforts were finally rewarded as the panel in the roof finally slid open, allowing them entry to a maintenance shaft. It seemed that nighttime was quiet here, and workers either sleeping at the other end of the facility or having long since gone home. And despite the complex security system, the guard patrols were few, well-spaced apart, and easy to predict. Sloppy and overconfident, Shadow thought to himself. This place was just begging to be broken into. And as soon as He and Rouge dropped into a lab, it only took her moments to access the computer and begin to search the database. In the meanwhile, the darkly colored hedgehog took a look around the room and at the unusual equipment. There was what could be mistaken as a gymnastics vaulting horse if it weren't for the restraints for holding down a 4-legged animal on top of it. And the lab table with its many arrangements of straps instantly made him uncomfortable, having once been an experiment himself. It was better to focus on the mission at hand, and be glad he didn't have to take photographs. Those would be taken if and after G.U.N. had a reason to raid the wretched place.

Rouge, however, was finding exactly what they'd been sent for; evidence. Namely files on a current subject that was unnamed except for a serial number, 26-B. "Looks like our source was right, they're experimenting on Mobians. It explains why some have been going missing." She said with disgust as she read the screen in front of her. "Though it looks like there won't be much of a rescue mission for the boys back at the base; looks like none of the test subjects have survived except the one they're working on now." That caused Shadow to come and peer over her shoulder, seeking more information. "26-B is a hedgehog." He said, a sense of urgency in his tone making Rouge sigh again. "It doesn't mean it's him. Anything could have happened to Sonic. Besides, our orders are to gather information, not break out prisoners." They didn't have the backup should things go south. But her words were in vain; Shadow had already left.

It had been months since the blue hedgehog had vanished, without any clues. His adopted brother, Tails, had come frantically to Shadow, begging for help in the beginning. He'd managed to send the fox an incomplete call for help on his communications watch, words slurred, as if fighting off heavy sedation. " _T-taihs…I-Ih've…Capchured…Iht's…NO!_ " The message had ended there, and the poor fox hadn't even been able to trace his location, since the watch had been destroyed seconds later. And Shadow had turned Tails away, claiming Sonic could look out for himself; a decision he'd come to regret later on as time passed, but by then the trail had long since gone cold. The dark hedgehog had even tracked down Dr. Eggman, who had made it very clear that if he'd captured the other, he'd have made the knowledge very public. It didn't help that both the press and Commander Tower now assumed the blue blur had finally met his end; a decision that had shocked Shadow out of his apathy too late to help. He still wasn't sure why it mattered so much to him that his rival had met some awful fate, but now he fully intended to find him, somehow, someday, sooner better than later.

And it was this need that led him sneaking through the facility for the area that a map had marked as mere lab animal containment, as if the test subjects hadn't been Mobian Sapients at all, but the simple feral Mobini that had never evolved into humanoids. The idea had made Shadow fume enough that the couple of human guards he'd run into had been lucky to only have been knocked out. Breaking a locked double-door open led him to a row of cells that made his skin crawl, though they all seemed to be empty…No, that wasn't right. The last cell was occupied by a strange, spiky, wolf-like creature being kept restrained, even behind the bars of the small cell. Despite being asleep, it hardly looked friendly or safe to be near, the resemblance of some lab-created dog ending with the razor sharp and all too familiar blue spines on it's body, if a grayer, paler shade than before. He had no idea why he was throwing caution to the wind and entering the cell to wake it, fingers working swiftly to remove the muzzle tightly strapped around its head. All Shadow knew was that he had to know; was this, or had this creature once been- "Sonic, is that you?" And he wasn't sure whether he wanted a yes or a no...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3; A Change of Scenery**

Admittedly, being woken up was the last thing Sonic had expected after he'd been 'put to bed', as the scientists called it. Oh, he'd be woken up eventually, but not until morning, and certainly not now. His exhausted mind frantically tried to make sense of things as he felt hands upon him, the muzzle around his jaw, and all he could think of was that they had returned with some sick new test to run him through. But they'd regret taking his muzzle off, he'd make sure of that! With a growl he lunged forward as the person spoke, and sank his sharp teeth into the nearest arm, ears pinned back until his still-waking mind suddenly made sense of what had been said. This person knew him, no, they knew the _real_ him, not as subject 26-B. The scientists at the lab never used his real name. With a whine, the blue creature released the arm and pushed away as fast as his legs could, against the wall with his fur puffed in alarm. Then before he could react further he felt a familiar stab in his side, things around him quickly blurring to darkness as he collapsed to the floor with a shuddering sigh.

Shadow hadn't expected the answer to his question hadn't been an attack, proof of his carelessness. It took all of his control not to make it remove its teeth be knocking it unconscious, focusing on staying still with a hiss of pain until the creature seemed realize what it had done and thankfully released its teeth from his arm. Then it was jerking away from him as quickly as it could, as if seeking escape; the dart that whooshed past him being the explanation that worked best for the black hedgehog. "Why did you do that? I had this under control!" Shadow whirled on Rouge angrily, the bat seemingly unimpressed as she tossed aside the tranquilizer pistol she'd found hanging outside the cell. "Right, you planned on getting mauled today." She said with distaste. "Like how you missed the plaque saying this cage's occupant is a dangerous…" She trailed off as she got a good look at the unusual animal on the floor, not sure what to say.

Placing a hand over the wound on his arm, the hedgehog rose from the floor. "He's coming with us, this used to be a Mobian." Rouge shook her head, opening her mouth, but was cut off. "I know, but if we leave now they might relocate him. I'll take full responsibility for breaking orders, but we're NOT leaving without him." There was no way to know if this was who he thought it was; shades of blue were common in male hedgehogs, not just in Sonic. But he'd seen the bruises and how it was being treated, so he planned on being stubborn about this, and holding his ground. He knew what it was like to be someone's lab project. Rouge rolled her eyes before nodding. "And I'm not going to stop you. I already have what we came for." She said with a heavy sigh before walking forward to pick and unlock the leash from the wall, stepping aside so her partner could pick the creature up. Two pairs of feet moved silently back out from where they'd come in, then across the field and stands of trees that surrounded the isolated lab. Shadow received annoyed looks from the soldier flying the helicopter at their meeting point, the fact that the black hedgehog was a ranking agent the only thing that kept him from taking off with their unusual cargo.

The trip was painfully quiet. Shadow kept looking at the unconscious bundle of fur and spines on the floor of the helicopter, wondering if this was the right choice, wondering if there was anything left of a Mobian's mind in the misshapen, feral-looking body. He was going to get an earful from the commander, but he hoped that he could dismiss it as gathering evidence. Unless this was an altered feral, the primary investigators wouldn't even need to look at the files they'd downloaded. The place could be shut down and arrests made before noon-time rolled around, the files only needed as further incriminating evidence. But this creature, that was his biggest concern. It hasn't responded like a sentient, but rather like a wild animal. It had growled and whined, but not spoken. And although it had looked shocked after it had bitten Shadow (quite hard), there was no way of knowing if it had recoiled from guilt or because a second person had arrived. It wasn't as if it could run away, with the tether and its hind legs bound together by secure-looking, joined metal cuffs.

It took some arranging after they'd returned to get the creature to a room in the medical wing of the G.U.N. base, before Commander Tower had a stern word with him, and loaded him down with days of paperwork; or tried to. Shadow was able to convince his employer that the best place for him was assuring that a potentially dangerous experiment didn't harm anyone. He was pleased that the Commander agreed, reluctantly, but that would be after he wrote a full report on his discovery, the mission, and the paperwork needed to legally seize a privately-owned and run facility. He wasn't too happy to find out the Commander had ordered the scientists and doctors examining the suspected Mobian to keep it sedated until they were done with it. It left the black hedgehog with a twinge of tension; he doubted they would hurt the unfortunate creature, but he hoped none of them would decide to examine it for any reason other than its health and the DNA test they were so eager to run.

It was hours, it had to be, when he woke up again, feeling the wooziness slowly fade from his body, and leaving his mouth dry. They must have been keeping him under…while they worked…on him…? He didn't remember any of it. The room around him was white and empty, and nothing like he'd expected to wake up in. Then again it wouldn't surprise him if those scientists were trying something new. The thing that did surprise him was that the first time, he was completely unbound, not even wearing the collar he hated so much. It was a freeing feeling…but why? The scientist and handlers knew Sonic couldn't be trusted yet without it, which was even stranger. He had a faint memory of someone, before…before he was darted. Shadow, and Rouge, Shadow had removed his muzzle; he remembered at least that much now! But where was this room, and was he at G.U.N., or was he still back at the little lab of horrors? Did that lab of horrors work for G.U.N., even? He didn't want to wait and see, so he climbed to his feet and set about exploring the room; not that was much here to explore. There was a blanket in the corner where he'd woken up, which had been a nice treat. There was a bed in another corner, tiny dresser beside it, and a small table with a chair. And this was obviously some kind of observation room, from the long, reflective mirror on one side, which he knew they could watch him from behind without them ever seeing him.

The furniture gave him something to pass the time with, and test just how extreme his body's changes were. The chair was awful; he couldn't sit in it properly like he was used to, and it was too narrow for him to sit on all four comfortably. He pushed it back in against the table with his paw-like hands to give him more room to pace on the floor. The alarm clock on the dresser was oddly face-down, so he set it upright and moved on; it was morning already, he noted, if it was set properly. The bed was much nicer, and the two drawers were boringly empty but gave him a chance to work his awkward, stubby fingers. Avoiding the instinctive urge to paw the sheet into a pile to curl up in, he managed to lift it properly and more or less maneuver himself under it for a small nap in comfort, curled on his side until his food arrived and was slid in through a slot in the bottom of the door. And here was the irritation that came with the awkward realization; this room was a test for him, the chair, the clock and the bed, placed to see what he would do. It was finally made clear by the fact his food and water bowls were in a clear, plastic puzzle box of some sort. Sonic was tempted to ignore it out of stubborn spite, since he no longer wore the shock collar, but his mouth was dry and the cereal-like substance in the second bowl made his stomach gurgle. Well, if they wanted a show, they'd get it whether they liked the results or not!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4; Bargains and Plans**

Shadow watched from behind the mirror as the creature slept in the bed, listening as Dr. Morres filled him in on what their inspection of their 'guest' had turned up. To be honest, the black hedgehog hadn't expected the creature to settle in like he'd been told it had. But what mattered to him most was finding out who was behind those emerald eyes, so he stayed silent. "We ran the tissue sample we collected, and it's as the files you gathered said. That lab was experimenting with sapients, and splicing their DNA with fragments of feral DNA to create what we have in this room. The goal was to create intelligent bioweapons, then sell them to the highest bidders. This one was a hedgehog sapient, spliced with feral wolf DNA." Shadow wrinkled his nose in disgust at the thought, these were living beings those fool scientists had been destroying- quite literally. So far every subject they'd spliced had died, and likely this one would have too if they'd had a chance to continue. And all for what; an unlikely chance of creating a tormented flesh and blood creature that would eventually get shot and killed? It had been different for Shadow, since he was immortal; if Commander Graves had succeeded in making Shadow his bioweapon, he'd not have been taken down easily on the battlefield. But a normal Sapient was another matter, and the thought sickened him. "Do we know who 'this' is?" He asked back pointedly, not liking having no name to call the rescued hedgehog.

Dr. Morres sighed, the young red-headed woman straightening her glasses at the other's impatience. "We're in luck. G.U.N. doesn't have very many sapients on file, but we have a match for him, from a previous arrest." Shadow cast her glare of annoyance, and she stopped hesitating. "It's Sonic the Hedgehog. I really don't know how they got their hands on him, but…" Morres trailed off as the hedgehog agent next to her bristled angrily, though he felt as much sorrow as rage that those humans had done this. Sonic was annoying, cocky and headstrong, but he didn't deserve something so horrible like what had been done to him the last months. "Is he…healthy?" He managed to say, clenching his fists; the other sapients had died. Would Sonic…? Fortunately the woman didn't leave him wondering for long. "From what we can tell, he's stable. He's undernourished and has some contusions on his left side, but otherwise our biggest concerns are now over his cognitive abilities." Shadow knew what that meant, and there had been no way to tell with him being sedated. So far all he'd shown was that he recognized the uses of some of the room's objects. And now that he looked to be awake again, and had finished his nap, they could finally see if Sonic's mind was still functioning.

The shallow, lidded puzzle box was tricky, but not terribly hard. Opening it required arranging numbered tiles into the right slots, counting down from six. That released the handle, which he had to twist in a circle once before it allowed him to slide the lid off sideways. It was supposed to test his intelligence, Sonic guessed, and it did little to make him believe he wasn't still an experiment at the laboratory. He was still even being served food in pet bowls; which he refused to eat and drink from like some feral, choosing to cup the bowls between his paws to either drink or tilt the dry chunks of food into his mouth. It turned out to be some sort of kibble, but he was hungry enough that any meal was a meal worth eating. Then once he was finished emptying the bowls the show truly began. Throwing the dishes at the mirror was a nice start, followed by the satisfactory sound of the box and its lid thunking off the surprisingly impact-resistant surface. And just in case he hadn't gotten his point across with that, he followed up by charging the reflective surface, curling his fingers to smack the back of one hand-like paw against it to show his middle finger was raised to those on the other side. Then the icing on the cake was to spin around and kick out at the mirror with his hind paws before retreating back to a corner to bristle, stare at the door, and wait for the punishment that was sure to come. It had been so long since he'd been able to act out against his captors that he had gone a little overboard in trying to tick them off; just to show he wouldn't let them brainwash him. Removing the collar had given his confidence a boost, but after this tantrum, they'd really put the hurt on him.

Smirking, the black hedgehog turned to face Dr. Morres. Sonic had not only aced the box, but shown that his attitude wasn't lacking; after all he'd been through Sonic had every right to be angry. "I'd say he passed. Now may I finally see him?" He'd needed the clearance from the woman first, since she'd been the only G.U.N. scientist suitable to put in charge of Sonic. So in this case she outranked him. Morres looked a little shocked by what had happened, and he assumed she hadn't expected Sonic's mind to still be in one piece. "I…yes, but first we must be sure that he won't continue to show aggressive behaviour and-" Shadow cut her off, his voice strained with frustration at her continued stalling. "Sonic has been tormented by the worst of the worst, so there IS no way to know if he'll be aggressive to us unless we confront him. And I am the best choice, because of my enhanced healing abilities." He seriously doubted that the other would attack him, but even if he did, Shadow healed at an impressive rate. Morres paused reluctantly, but sighed heavily and gave her permission, and Shadow waited not a second longer.

Shadow carefully opened the door to hear Sonic huff aggressively at him from under the bed, which the other he must have squeezed under after he'd left observation room. But the huffing stopped, and a confused face peered out from under the bed as soon as he realized who the visitor was. To be honest, Sonic wasn't sure if he could trust Shadow, not when he didn't know where he was, or even who'd captured him in the first place. It wasn't as if those scientist goons had answered any of his questions while he could still ask them. So he eyed the other suspiciously when he sank to his knees not far from the door he'd closed behind him. "Sonic. I know it's you." What to say? He wasn't the best at comforting people. "Rouge and I rescued you from a private research facility called The Research and Development Chimera Laboratories, and brought you here to safety. We wanted to make sure your mind was still intact. Do you remember me?" He held out a hand, palm up, in an open gesture to show he meant no harm. Sonic was still reluctant, but then again, hadn't this explanation matched with when he'd shown up at the lab and removed his muzzle? He was unhindered, Shadow was unarmed, and he wasn't angry, or at least didn't look angry. If anything, the black hedgehog looked…almost sympathetic.

Okay it was weird enough to get any sympathetic look from the tough guy, and he pulled himself out from under the bed to answer him as best he could. "Hhhhrgrow." The other was taken aback by the odd growl, and Sonic dropped his blue ears in response to the attempt at saying Shadow's name, looking away miserably. That hadn't been what he'd meant to say, that hadn't been what he'd wanted to say not even close. There was a lot more that he craved to say as well, that he knew would go unheard. But if he was worried about the response to the guttural growl, Shadow wasn't offended. "You can't speak, can you?" The spiky blue head shook no. "This mutation, is there any way to reverse it?" Another head-shake no, and the blue head drooped to match the sagging ears. That was one of the few things the scientists had kept telling him, that there was no hope of returning to his life after the changes to his body had started becoming visible. There was no way to cure him or turn him back to normal again. No way for him to return to his old life. Ever.

This was too much to bear, how could Sonic look so dejected that he looked like he was trying to melt into the floor? It touched even Shadow, as he moved forwards to touch the matted fur, absently stroking it to provide some sort of comfort. Sonic had lost a great deal of himself in RDCL's captivity, if he'd given up on the odds after all that had happened in his life. "Listen to me. You've never given up so don't you dare do that now." As sharp as those words were, they had a softer edge that made sonic look up in surprise. "I promise you, if there's any way to give you back what those butchers stole, I won't stop until I find it. And I have no doubt Dr. Morres and her team _will_ help." He gave the mirror an expectant look, knowing that G.U.N.'s research teams were always disturbingly ready for some new genetics project to get busy with, but thankfully none of it involving making another ultimate lifeform.

Then suddenly he was trying not to fall backwards as his lap was very, very full of fur and spines that were thankfully relaxed enough to not scratch him. Instinctively he tried to push Sonic away, but it seemed the other was oblivious to his usual obsession with personal space. Not that he'd push the head and front paws of the shaking animal away. Shaking. And making whuffling sounds. Damn it. Now he couldn't push the crying creature away without dealing with more guilt than he was willing to deal with at the moment, and he focused on trying to soothe him; something he was extremely unfamiliar with. However petting seemed to work, and scratching behind the blue ears seemed to almost have a soporific effect, making it possible to slide him off his own legs to the floor beside him. Shadow continued to stroke the tangled fur, surprisingly soft despite its neglect, and wondering what it would feel like to his bare fingers before he stopped himself. This was not a pet or a lab experiment, this was a person. And he sure as heck wasn't going to fondle his coat like he wasn't sentient.

Another problem was what to do with him. He couldn't leave Sonic here, Chaos, he himself could barely stand being here after his years as either an experiment in longevity or as a potential bioweapon. The mess beside him had literally just been pulled from what Shadow considered a torture facility. There was no way he'd recover from his trauma here in yet another lab, and the Commander wanted to keep this quiet, which meant Sonic couldn't stay in the barracks or a spare dorm. There was no way that Sonic could stay on this base without either living in an observation room like this and not in a nicer place without word getting out that the creature he'd brought back was the famed Sonic the Hedgehog. Or would it? Shadow lived on his own when he wasn't staying at the G.U.N. dorms, on a property that had belonged to Gerald before the man had moved to the ARK to conduct his research. It was private and in a quiet community, with enough trees in the yard to divert prying eyes when Shadow wanted to lounge in the yard. The black hedgehog had a decent plan coming together, and now he just had to pitch it to the person who counted most. "Sonic, I need to check a few things." He told the unhappy mess of fur and spines on the floor. "I'll be back soon, you'll be fine here." The response to that was amusing enough, the former hedgehog worriedly looking at the mirror before sitting up on his hind legs and crossing his front legs in an unhappy pout. "I said I'll be back." Shadow said sternly, ignoring the other's returned worried expression as he turned and left.

 _/_ _ **No no no don't go**_ _!_ / Sonic thought to himself; he really didn't want to be left alone right now, especially in a place as creepy as the white room. He stared at the door and whined miserably for a few minutes, backing up alarmed when it opened and Dr. Morres came in. / _ **Great, another white coat-wearing person? I'm sick of these so-called doctors.**_ _/_ Trust didn't come as easily when you'd become as helpless as he felt right now. Really, he didn't want to be here at all. He would give anything to return to the workshop where he stayed with Tails. If his brother would even recognize him right now… Great, and now she was introducing herself and talking, and asking him to do stupid things to further convince her of his ability to think. Follow the pen with his eyes, answer questions with one stomp or two, and then she asked him to write. / _ **Why me?**_ / With his paws, hands, whatever…with them the way they were, he was afraid, afraid that he'd fail. Afraid he couldn't manage such a simple but commonplace thing; yet one more ability he'd taken for granted. But at the same time, he had to know.

With a gulp, he reached out and gripped the pen with a paw, bending his fingers to hold it against his palm. So far so good, but his thumb was no longer of any use. "Take your time, Sonic." She sounded kind, but there was just something about her that made her feel untrustworthy. After another moment and some fumbling he got it between his fingers in a way that satisfied his need to control the pen's movements, and wrote on the paper she'd offered from her clipboard. / _ **Okay, it's messy, but..I think I can actually do this.**_ / The words scrawled across the paper were sloppy and large, but for the first time he had some hope return as to just how trapped inside this unwanted body he was. "Can I get a TV?" was what the words he'd written read, and really, if he was going to be stuck here waiting for who knew how long, he didn't want to be bored to death with nothing to do like he had earlier. Dr. Morres seemed taken aback by the simple request, but he felt it summed up just how himself he was despite how feral he looked.

Ugh. The meeting had taken hours, and needed the stubborn, doubtful Dr. Morres to give her 'professional' opinion. Her report to Commander Tower was lengthy, crammed full of ifs and buts, and he wanted to curse when it was over. She even went so far as to mention his vicious reputation back at R.D.C.L.(shown in the stolen files), and brought up the tantrum against the room's mirror, despite how "placid he's been since Agent Shadow visited him". Placid indeed; Shadow offered in Sonic's defence that the blue former-hedgehog's history with the private lab involved a forced hostile environment coupled with the fact Sonic had no idea where he was when he awoke. The arguments went back and forth for some time before a compromise was made between him and Morres that the Commander could agree with. Shadow could bring Sonic into his home for monitoring, as long as he reported in on the "hedgewolf"(a name the black hedgehog considered more dignified than "creature") once a week, and brought him in once a month minimum for a thorough health checkup and observation. Commander Tower approved of the agent's idea to claim the hedgewolf was one of Gerald's previous creations, recently woken from suspended animation. However, Tower said also this would mean that Sonic would have to act like a domesticated pet in public. The key was getting blue to agree to this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5; Settling In**

Sonic was relieved that Dr. Morres had left. There was still something about her he didn't like; aside from how she seemed to not want to believe it wasn't still him inside this body. Maybe she just didn't want to believe this had happened to the former hero? Really, he couldn't be sure when she didn't even seem to want to be in the same room with him, as if she was afraid of something. At any rate, his request for a television fell on deaf ears (or was that eyes?), and he was left alone- again. With a heavy sigh, Sonic lay back down on the bed, chin on his front paws as he watched the door for anyone. He didn't want to be alone anymore, but it didn't seem he had a choice at all. He was tempted to try to leave the room, but it operated without an inside handle. So when Shadow returned he greeted him with an unhappy bark and a frown. "I was arranging your release." He responded casually at the impatience. "So just listen for a moment, if you can."

The other pinned his ears unhappily for a moment but put his head pack on his paws, eyes still on his, so Shadow assumed he wanted him to continue. "The Commander has decided to let you leave. BUT." The spiky head had popped up quickly at the news, and he didn't want to give him any false assumptions. "It's been agreed that we shouldn't let the public know what's happened to you yet. It might make you a target." Sonic rolled his eyes as an answer; of course it would, especially if Dr. Eggman found out. "This means you're coming home with me and you'll have to pretend you're a trained animal of some sort. We've decided on calling you a hedgewolf." This made Sonic freeze, staring at Shadow incredulously before making a low growling noise. "I don't like it any more than you do, but if you want out of here, this is the only way. You can trust me; I I won't force you to do anything you don't want to." Shadow ended the sentence in a surprisingly understanding tone, and pulled the dog collar and leash from behind his back. For a moment the hedgewolf looked alarmed, giving a whine that could only suggest what things had been like at RDCL. Shadow gave him his time to decide, deciding to be patient out of understanding. This wasn't easy for someone who'd recently been kept on a leash like an animal.

But more than anything, Sonic Just wanted to leave this place, and get back some sort of normalcy to his life, and after a moment approached and lowered his head for the collar to be applied to his neck. Wordlessly, Shadow turned and headed for the nearest exit, to not stretch the indignity of the leash out any longer than he had to; though the man at the security counter wasn't making it any easier on the way out. "So this is the project they found huh?" The leader of Team Dark tried not to bristle at the word, and answered casually. "Yes, he's been found to be safe for living with me." The human smiled, Shadow thankful that this guard had a good level of respect for him. "At any rate, I have to go." Picking up the pace with an agreeing hedgewolf behind him, the two pushed open the door and headed into the sunlight, only to face a new set of problems.

This was the first time he'd been outside since he'd been captured; and the world around him blew him away in a sensory overload. The bright sunlight was wonderfully warm on his fur, but for someone who had spent the last months surrounded by the chemical scents of a sterilized facility. Now, with heightened senses, everything was a distraction. He could smell every car that passed, even the cologne of the guard smoking by the exit of the G.U.N. building was caught in his nose. And the noises- cars, people, footsteps; it was all so much he nearly backed back into the facility until Shadow put a hand on his head to steady him. "Pay attention." Unfortunately Shadow wasn't going to be able to balance Sonic on the back of his motorcycle, and his side car was unattached and back home in his garage. "Give me your paw. We're going to chaos control." Holding out his hand, he pulled out his emerald and was pleased Sonic wasn't going to hesitate. In a flash of green light the two of them were gone, and where Shadow wanted to be; in his living room with a dizzy-looking hedgewolf next to him.

Shadow inhaled a deep breath as he took in the living room around him; this was his sanctuary, all his, and no one else's. His home was a place where he was safe and could be alone when he wanted solitude. Except now that privacy was compromised, and by a choice he hoped not to regret. " _Whine_?" Sonic had apparently gathered his senses enough to wonder wat to do next, and was looking up at him expectantly…and with a great deal of uncertainty. "What now? First things first, you're getting groomed. You're dirty, matted, and I like my place clean." That got a sour look from the hedgewolf, but he understood why Shadow wanted this, and getting tidied up was a luxury he'd missed.

Sonic followed Shadow to the bathroom, when the collar was removed and the darker hedgehog began to fill the tub, testing the water. Once he was satisfied, it was time to get the hedgewolf in the water; which proved to be easier than the black hedgehog had thought. As much as he knew the former hero hated getting wet, it seemed he was just as eager to get himself clean. The creature sank itself into the bubbly hot water, giving in to the clawed black and red fingers that were lathering shampoo into his messy fur. The motions were very soothing; even leaning into Shadow's hands a few times as he zoned out. Eventually he was clean as he would get and the other rinsed him off, swatting him when he tried to shake himself dry. "Don't you _dare_ shake off." The last thing Shadow wanted was to be drenched, wrapping the other in a towel before Sonic could be tempted to shake again. He couldn't help it; his instincts were much stronger now, and the urge to shake was like an itch he just had to scratch; in the end Shadow was as damp as the hedgewolf he was rubbing dry.

Brushing him was another matter entirely; Shadow had the proper brushed for fur and spines, but it was tempting to just cut some of the mats out. However, his persistence paid off, and when he was done there was a considerable pile of blue fur on the floor next to a surprisingly fluffy Sonic. Ignoring the tempting fluff, he grabbed the clippers and file from the bathroom drawer and set about trimming the hedgewolf's chipped and overgrown claws. Once again he found himself getting frustrated with how the scientists had neglected the former hero's needs, and he could add his canid-like claws to the list, along with the mats and bruises. And the disturbing scars could be added as well; Shadow had guessed Sonic probably had some battle scars hiding under his fur before, but the long, straight scar running down his spine from neck to tail was very suspicious, along with the ones along the insides of his hind legs. The fur still hid the healed surgical cuts, but they were too recent and precise to have been anything else. Shadow had never considered himself lucky that he couldn't scar when he was still on the ARK, but now he certainly did; even if it changed nothing for the hedgewolf before him.

It was refreshing to be in a place that felt so much like a home, that Sonic was finally starting to truly relax. The colour pallet of the home was not what he'd have chosen (Mostly blacks and whites), but it wall fit together nicely all the same. _And it all smelled like Shadow._ Blue never would've realized that people had such strong, individual scents before, but they did. And Shadow's was hard to describe; musky, but not unpleasant. And what the heck was he doing thinking about how good the other hedgehog in the room smelled?! Sonic made himself scarce as soon as the last claw was done, heading for the living room to track down the remote, having greatly missed the luxuries of life, live television and furniture. And owners of a household that looked at still damp hedgehog-wolves on the sofa like they had created some sort of offence.

Oh, this was wonderful. First the shaking off of the bathwater, getting him soaked. Then the fact he couldn't stay still as he worked on the fur mats, then flinching as he trimmed his claws, and NOW there was a wet animal lounging on his couch. Shadow had to hold his temper, and remind himself this was a sentient being, not some dog he'd just adopted. Sonic would want to lie on the couch, naturally, and he needed to respect that. He was just glad that he'd started throwing a quilt over the cushions lately. The black hedgehog also reined it in, as soon as he'd noticed the other trying to shrink under his glare. No, Sonic had undoubtedly had enough of being treated impatiently, and he hated seeing the look of a cornered animal returning to his eyes. "Are you hungry?" Sonic nodded, nervous once more; it was better to see what he could mix up in the kitchen, and leave him alone for a while. For now, he wouldn't let his temper rise to the behavior of his rival.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6; Adjusting**

It was a good thing Shadow was used to eating. Oh, it wasn't as if he needed to eat; the black hedgehog's body could and would do just fine running on chaos energy alone. In reality he only needed to eat a few times a month unless he used a lot of his patented chaos control techniques. It was the same for sleeping, another thing he enjoyed doing but didn't have to thanks to his unusual and artificially created genetics. His body was very efficient, but cooking was something he enjoyed, so eating naturally came with it. Cooking was a form of creating that didn't require any level of genius, just time and care; and the flavours of a well-cooked meal were well worth the work.

Now it was down to preparing food once again, and he supposed the long meeting with the commander and the doctor was worth it, because otherwise he'd have had no idea what to feed the hedgewolf currently drying on his sofa(to his frustration). The first thing in order was to thaw some ground beef, and boil some rice. He mashed some raw eggs into the ground beef, then the rice when it was done. However, Shadow planned to do more than this; the recipe Dr. Morres had given him would be suitable for Sonic's new body, but he knew that eating it would disgust Sonic beyond belief. He wondered why he even cared if the other liked the raw mash at all, but dismissed it to the fact that he simply appreciated making a properly prepared meal. This meant actually seasoning the meat with herbs and baking it like a meatloaf. The results smelled much nicer and looked much more edible to someone used to eating cooked food. As well, the meatloaf would last though more than one meal, a portion of which was cut off and put on a plate as soon as it had cooled down enough.

Whatever Shadow was cooking smelled good from where Sonic was watching television. There wasn't a lot on that interested him on right now, so he'd settled with a sitcom of some sort. He was entertained enough by the show, and lounged comfortably on his side, head propped up on his paws. He was more focused on enjoying the softness of the surface under him, something he'd missed greatly. Eyes closed, his ears flicked to the sounds on the screen; some sort of old western, that he vaguely remembered seeing a few years ago. The sheriff had fallen for a bribe from a rich man, and the young man and his friends had found that out. The sheriff framed the boys, then stolen the deed to the town so the rich man and his gang could tear it down and open a copper mine. Now the boys were riding their horses to catch the train the deed was on and to bring the sheriff home to face true justice. It was interesting enough, but didn't require his full attention to enjoy it. Then suddenly he was distracted by a plate and cutlery clattering lightly onto the coffee table, and his head shot up with surprise, eyes wide and on full alert.

"It's just meatloaf." Shadow answered the sudden movement with an impatient sigh, having briefly forgotten that Sonic was still very jumpy. "Relax and eat." He watched for a moment as the hedgewolf struggled to grasp the fork and use it with his shortened digits, made all the more difficult by the useless stub of a thumb. No matter what he tried, his body just didn't move in the way it used to; so when he finally got a chunk of food stuck onto it, getting it to his mouth was so awkward that he knocked the bite off instead of getting it into his mouth. Finally the blue creature gave a snarl of frustration as he threw the utensil to the floor, head sagging in defeat until he looked up again in surprise. The darker hedgehog had grabbed his paw, and had already received the offending fork, pushing it back between his digits. "You're NOT going to give up, if I can help it." His tone was stern, but there was something about how he'd said it that hinted at encouragement. After a bit of fumbling and the darker of the two testing the range of movements from the quadrupedal limb, he left Sonic alone with the fork slid between the beige digits, on top of the index and pinkie, but under the middle and ring fingers. He couldn't help wonder, as Shadow made his retreat, why the other cared so much. Sure, relearning everyday stuff meant a lot to Sonic, but to the other…?

The rest of the day passed without incident, Shadow keeping his distance from his houseguest as much as he could. It had been pitiful to see the proud former hedgehog so easily frustrated and so willing to give up, it was completely unlike him. He suspected that Sonic was more upset over what had been done to him than anything else, which made more sense. The experiments he'd endure on the ARK had once turned him against everything good in the world; he didn't want the same to happen to the blue creature who was…was…

Who was currently pacing around the house, searching for something; something that was apparently found at the sound of a door closing with the push of a hind foot. Shadow would rather not think about how exactly Sonic was going to use the toilet when he had trouble simply sitting normally in a chair, so he went back to reading his book. A flush several moments later suggested the other had figured things out on his own, and the sound of running water meant that he had no trouble washing his hands, either. Which was good, because he wasn't about to become Sonic's servant. After another serving of meatloaf fed the hedgewolf(him preparing the food since the blue quadruped couldn't carry things and walk at the same time), he continued to avoid his houseguest until it was time for bed. Shadow slept, not because he needed to, but because he preferred to out of habit. He could go for days on only chaos energy alone; no food, no water, no sleep. But that eventually took a toll on him, so he'd rather only do that if he had to, and sleeping and eating kept his stamina ready for anything. He pointed Sonic to his guest room, and hit the sack, not giving his guest another thought.

Sonic was a bit taken aback at how little Shadow suddenly wanted to do with him, to the point he'd merely grunted something about going to bed, and pointing to another room. He knew they were more rivals than friends, but he'd seemed so interested in helping him with the fork earlier. Did he do something wrong in front of his host? Did Shadow regret bringing him here? Shadow was a very private guy, after all, chaos knew what he'd do if he'd overstayed his welcome already; and he wasn't…ready to let Tails see him like this, not yet, when he hadn't even come to terms with his transformation. Maybe…maybe they just needed some rest. He'd figure this out in the morning, when he was fully rested, and try to make this up to him somehow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7; Waking Nightmare**

" _No, NO!" The floor was cold and hard beneath him, making his body ache as he woke. He'd been attacked, he could remember that much, but from a source he hadn't expected. He'd never thought that he'd have anything to fear from an ordinary human, right? He helped them all the time. He hadn't guarded his back, because he hadn't had reason to. Empire City was a safe place for him to be, even if he was trying to find a reason as to why his kind had started going missing. If anyone could find out, it was Sonic, though he'd had to eat sooner or later. And when an old lady got her purse grabbed, he'd left the lineup at a hot dog stand to get it back for her. Unfortunately she'd wanted to shake his hand in thanks. No, it hadn't been his back he'd needed to watch; it was his wrist that got pricked by a hidden needle. The last thing his rapidly fading senses had heard was people shouting as he collapsed, and someone saying they'd take him to a hospital._

 _Which brought him to where he was, waking up on a smooth concrete floor, with a metal collar chaining him to the wall, and a matching set around his ankles; definitely not like any hospital he'd ever seen. Hauling himself to his feet, the blue hedgehog staggered for the wall of bars but came to an uncomfortable halt when the chain at his neck stopped him short. Whoever had locked him here had left him unable to even reach the bars with his fingertips, to his dismay. "Okay, think, think- you've been grabbed, no biggie." Sonic forced himself to calm down. "So try to figure out what this place is…" White walls that were as smooth as the grey, hard floor and the bars were painted white as well. He could see what he assumed to be a hallway of some sort on the other side of his cell's bars, with a grey stripe about waist-high running along it. His captor must hate color…whoever that was. Worse yet, the air here had wisps of unpleasant scents; antiseptic mostly. He had to wonder, was this one of Dr. Eggman's labs? If it was, he might be in serious trouble. Then all thoughts were put aside, once he heard the echo of footsteps and a figure appeared before his cell._

Sonic woke with a start and a jerk, kicking at his bed wildly as his subconscious told him to run, before settling limply against the sheets. That face, he'd never wanted to see that face again; it had haunted his living world for the last few months. But it looked like there was no escape from him in his dreams. This wasn't the first time he'd had nightmares about that awful place, although he'd have liked to leave both behind. With a heavy groan, the blue hedgewolf buried his face in his paws, rubbing the sweat from his brow. It wasn't fair how his life had suddenly turned against him, but it wasn't like he'd been given a choice.

Feeling that sleep was currently beyond him, Sonic rose from under the sheets and paced the floor for a while, hoping to tire himself out and failing. Tension was his enemy right now, and seeking release, he sought out the back yard he'd been told about. Fresh air, that was what he needed; it had been forever since he'd gotten a chance to enjoy the night sky with its stars above. Maybe it would help him relax enough to get back to sleep, as it was still very dark out. Easing past the other bedroom, Sonic padded outside, after working his awkward paws on the doorknob, sliding the deadbolt and silently closing the door behind himself.

It was beautiful outside, thankfully, and peaceful as he'd hoped; the backyard being rather plain, consisting of grass and a few trees and nothing else but a raised wooden porch. It was fascinating how the grass felt under his feet, prickly and ticklish, while the breeze curled through his fur. He could enjoy this, and sat to take in the distraction. Clouds passed above and he watched them float by, barely visible in the darkness, and only visible from the fact they blocked out the stars. The hedgewolf closed his eyes, savoring the scents and sounds around him. If only things could be this simple, as easy as simply sitting and feeling. But it wasn't. It couldn't be. As the clouds parted to reveal the moon, his newer instincts responded, and his head tilted back to release a long, mournful howl. It didn't help, only reminding him of how he was trapped in this new body of his.

He was equally trapped by his memories. The scientists had started working on him from the moment he'd woken up. They'd dragged him to a room and strapped him down, injecting him with powerful substances and operating with as little anesthetic as they could get away with. Sometimes he'd spend the entire day floating in a chemical bath, and being forced to breath it as it burned through his system. That had been particularly terrifying for the aquaphobic hedgehog, as each time the tube filled he'd felt like he was drowning until his lungs had adjusted, combined with the choking sensation of coughing up fluid when he was removed. It had only taken a week for the aggressive experimentation to start changing him, and that brought a whole new host of unwanted symptoms. It had started with cramps, tremors and spasms, in every part of his body, until he felt as if his bones would snap from the tension in his muscles. He'd been fighting the scientists as much as he could up to that point, until the pain and exhaustion had sapped all of his strength. The surgeries had changed at that point, and he'd hated how he'd begun to welcome them; each new operation easing some of the stress of his transforming body.

They'd actually celebrated, too, the day he couldn't stand upright anymore. He remembered the party; champagne in tall glasses around the surface he'd been strapped to while they poked and prodded each change in him, admiring how he'd survived this long. That wasn't the first time he'd bitten someone, but that was when he'd been introduced to his new, degrading muzzle. Not that it had kept him from speaking, though, since he'd lost his ability to properly sound words days before. And that was only his first month there. As far as he was concerned, he was as ruined as his life, for who would ever treat him the same again, looking like this? A shadow of himself, a freakish mutation, and a living mockery of what he once was. They'd made him a beast, and Sonic felt every bit the part. Another mournful howl escaped his lips as he surrendered to his tired body and mind, curling up in the grass to sleep.


End file.
